Western Cape Business 2018 edition

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FOCUS Cape Winemakers Guild The annual Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction shows off the best work of the best winemakers. Eight Cape winemakers came together to taste wine from different parts of the world in 1982. They aimed to broaden their horizons, to keep in touch with world trends and to improve the quality of their winemaking. More than three decades later, the Cape Winemakers Guild is a major reason that the region’s wines are world class. The spirit of discovery and critical appreciation that animated the founders of the Guild has paid off. The pioneers were Billy Hofmeyr (the owner of Welgemeend in 1982) and other winemakers Kevin Arnold, Jan Boland Coetzee, Peter Finlayson, Walter Finlayson, Etienne le Riche, Braam van Velden and Achim von Arnim. Winemakers meet once a month to taste a particular type of wine or wines from a selected region of the world. But it’s not just any winemaker who can sit at that table. A winemaker must have a track record of producing premium-quality wines for at least five years before he or she can be nominated. Existing members vote on new membership at the annual general meeting. Membership belongs to the winemaker and not the wine estate, so if a winemaker moves from one property to another, she or he will keep their membership of the Guild. One of the Guild’s respected veterans, Beyers Truter, believes that the best thing about the Guild is “the dissemination of knowledge”. The openness where one can talk about the good and bad things in wines encourages introspection and growth. As the founder of the Pinotage Association, Beyers is clearly a winemaker concerned about improving quality. In so far as Protégés for 2017. WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2018 82

FOCUS the Guild is competitive, Beyers says, “It’s about trying to make the best wine you can, not to be better than whoever; it’s healthy competition.” Beyer’s Pinotages have won international acclaim and he’s been the international Winemaker of the Year, an accolade presented by the International Wine and Spirits Competition (IWSC). In 2017 that accolade went again to a Cape winemaker, Abrie Beeslaar of Kanonkop, the third time he has won the award. Abrie is a member of the Cape Winemakers Guild. Ninety countries participate in the IWSC. Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction The Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild Auction has become an important date on the calendar of wine connoisseurs. With the support of Nedbank, who have been a partner of the Guild for more than two decades, the auction gives these premier winemakers a chance to produce truly exceptional and unique wines. The wines are created exclusively for the auction. (Auction buyers might re-sell the wine, but the volumes are small). Beyers says that the selection of wines to be auctioned is “very severe”, as the tasting panel must give wines at least 17 out of 20. He hand-picks barrels for his own premier label (Beyerskloof Diesel Pinotage) but keeps a separate “absolutely unique” category for the auction. The relationship with Nedbank has also seen the creation of the Nedbank Cape Winemakers Guild The Cape Winemakers Guild Auction. Development Trust. During the year various events are held to raise funds. The Trust supports projects such as the Oenology and Viticulture Protégé Programme, the Billy Hofmeyr bursaries for final-year Elsenburg and Stellenbosch University Oenology and Viticulture students, and support for the non-profit organisation, Wine Training South Africa. Proceeds from the main auction go to the estate selling the wine but the event itself has grown tremendously over the years, with several related events taking place such as sports events, dinners – and other charity auctions. Most of the money for the trust is raised during the year, but in 2017, two charity auctions related to the main auction raised nearly R430 000 in aid of the Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé Programme. Held on the same weekend as the main event, one of the auctions had as the treasure a prize collection: each of the 44 Guild members with wine on the auction put up a 1.5-litre bottle of their auction wine. A silent auction was also held for the trust. Since 2006, 24 protégés have benefitted from the Cape Winemakers Guild Protégé Programme, being mentored by experienced winemakers in active working environments. The goal of the programme is to sustain the health of the South African wine industry by cultivating, nurturing and empowering promising individuals to become winemakers and viticulturists. As of 2017, 14 former protégés are working in the wine sector, either at corporate wine companies, private estates or related concerns. www.capewinemakersguild.com 83 WESTERN CAPE BUSINESS 2018